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Smart News / Smart News History & Archaeology

One of the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scroll fragments were found.

New Research

Ancient DNA Helps Unlock Dead Sea Scroll Puzzle

The bulk of the ‘scrolls’ are actually 25,000 fragments and genetic analysis is now helping researchers piece them together

The colorized photograph shows 47-year-old Dickens in a blue, green and yellow waistcoat; a navy blue jacket; and tan trousers.

See a Newly Colorized Photograph of Charles Dickens

The image, set to go on view once London museums are allowed to reopen, shows off the prolific author’s playful fashion sense

A portrait of scientist Isaac Newton, who developed a toad vomit–based cure for the bubonic plague

Sir Isaac Newton’s Prescription for Plague? Toad Vomit Lozenges

Handwritten notes detailing the British polymath’s unsavory treatment are now up for auction

Built over the course of 200 years, Aguada Fénix was abandoned just 50 years after its completion.

Cool Finds

Aerial Survey Identifies Oldest, Largest Maya Structure Ever Found in Mexico

The platform stands between 33 and 50 feet tall and measures almost a mile long

Archaeologists found the two altars seen here featured burnt cannabis (right) and frankincense (left), respectively.

Archaeologists Identify Traces of Burnt Cannabis in Ancient Jewish Shrine

New research suggests the mind-altering substance may have been widely used in the ritual practices of the Kingdom of Judah

Shot in 1935, this is a still from a newly rediscovered bit of footage depicting Benjamin, the last captive thylacine on Earth. He was on display at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania.

‘New’ Footage of Benjamin, the Last Tasmanian Tiger Ever Seen Alive

The short video hasn’t been seen in more than 80 years and shows the animal pacing its enclosure in Hobart, Tasmania

Experts are now conducting a full excavation of the property.

Cool Finds

Home Renovations in Norway Unearth Viking Burial

A local couple found an iron axe head and glass bead that archaeologists say may date to the ninth century

Scientists discovered the remains of some 60 mammoths during excavations for a new airport in Mexico.

Remains of 60 Mammoths Discovered in Mexico

Archaeologists found the trove of bones just six miles from recently discovered human-made ‘mammoth traps’

A storm on the Great Salt Lake in Utah exposed the wreckage of what may be a 100-year-old boat.

Cool Finds

Storm Unearths Wreck of Century-Old Boat in Utah’s Great Salt Lake

The vessel may belong to a fleet used to construct and maintain a railroad causeway that crosses the briny body of water

Larry Kramer by Robert Giard, gelatin silver print, 1989

Playwright and AIDS Activist Larry Kramer Dies at 84

The American writer and public health advocate was “a lionhearted force,” says Smithsonian curator Katherine Ott

An aerial view of one of the circular enclosures at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey

Did Geometry Guide the Construction of the World’s Oldest Temple?

New research suggests the center points of three stone megalith circles at Göbekli Tepe form a near-perfect triangle

Archaeologists found a skull fragment, femur and other human remains on the fifth day of the excavation.

Likely Burial Site of Irish Hero ‘Red’ Hugh O’Donnell Found in Spain

The 16th-century chieftain fled his home country after suffering a devastating defeat at the Battle of Kinsale

Archaeologists found the well-preserved tiles while conducting excavations at a commune near Verona, Italy.

Cool Finds

Ancient Roman Mosaic Floor Unearthed Beneath Italian Vineyard

The intricate, multi-colored tiles likely date to the third century A.D.

Six-year-old Imri Elya was awarded a "good citizenship" certificate for discovering a rare, small Canaanite tablet near an Israeli archaeological site.

Six-Year-Old Boy Discovers Rare Canaanite Tablet

Imri Elya was hiking with his family when he spotted the 3,500-year-old object

Discovered at the Yilbilinji rock shelter in northern Australia's Limmen National Park, the drawings are between 400 and 500 years old.

Cool Finds

Rare Form of Miniature Stenciled Rock Art Found in Australia

New research suggests the small-scale illustrations may have been made with beeswax

The researchers analyzed snippets of DNA left in the centuries-old tartar buildup.

New Research

New Technique to Study Ancient Teeth Reveals Edo-Era Diet in Japan

Researchers analyzed DNA in tartar from the remains of 13 people who lived between 1603 and 1867

The earliest evidence of mice making themselves at home alongside human settlements comes from 14,500-year-old bones found among the Natufians.

The House Mouse First Invaded Europe 6,500 Years Ago

New research suggests the rodents arrived on the continent some 2,500 years earlier than previously thought

Filippo Brunelleschi designed Florence Cathedral's famed red-brick dome.

How Renaissance Architects Designed Italy’s Imposing Domes

A new study offers key insights into how engineers built the rounded structures without using supports

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is among the organizations that oppose the ruling.

Judge Rules Salvage Firm Can Recover the Titanic’s Marconi Telegraph

Critics of the decision argue that the wreck is a memorial to the 1,500 who died when the ship sank and should not be disturbed

Found in Block 17, the cache includes scissors, shoemaker's tools and utensils.

Auschwitz Renovations Unearth Prisoners’ Hidden Trove of Tools

Inmates stowed the items—including forks, knives and fragments of shoes—in a chimney flue

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